If a vertebra becomes diseased or suffers a defect, it must be removed from the spinal column. Some spacer implants for replacement of missing vertebrae are known from the related art. The implant includes mutually displaceable parts which permit an adjustment of the length of the implant by means of catch mechanisms, among other things, and two special end plates which serve to anchor the implant in the adjacent intact vertebrae. Such vertebral prostheses or implants are known, for example, from Austrian Patent R 24426 RASHEED or German Patent No. 196 04 246 A1 JEANSON.
The disadvantage of the these and similar vertebral prostheses is that the two mutually displaceable parts are not closed hollow cylinders and therefore the entire vertebral prosthesis has a low rigidity.
The object of this invention is to obtain the biomechanical and physiological properties of the spinal column despite the removal of a vertebra by using a stable vertebral prosthesis that is adjustable in length. Additionally, ease of handling of the vertebral implant in the course of the surgery is also very important.
This invention achieves this object with a device having the features of claim 1.